Blue Eyes
by Yellow Mask
Summary: Ten years after the Fall of the Military, one ambitious journalist is tracking down Blue Eyes, a famous photo from the Rush Valley Disaster. A photo of a girl with blonde hair, and piercing blue eyes...Edwin, Royai.
1. Chapter 1

**Blue Eyes**

**By Yellow Mask**

**Spoilers:** up through Chapter 56 of the manga.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own FMA.

**Chapter 1**

_AN: Set in the manga universe, several years into an imaginary future._

Adam Lithson wasn't stupid. He knew it was all-too easy to underestimate him; he was nothing out of the ordinary. Average height, medium build, brown hair, hazel eyes. One of those normal, everyday people who faded, whether deliberately or accidentally, into the background.

But he was far from stupid. Planning to make his journalistic debut at age nineteen, he could be considered a genius.

The only problem was, he didn't know what he was going to write about. It had to be something interesting, something different, something that would grab people's attention.

The Fall of the Military was always a good idea. The council and the homunculus leading the military had fallen over nine years ago, but the chaos of that final year still echoed.

Adam rifled through his stack of photos, clipped from newspapers and taken from photography galleries, all taken during those twelve months.

Two men in blue military clothes, facing each other over drawn guns as loyalties disintegrated. A young boy scrounging in the streets for food as stray cats trailed behind in hopes of a meal. Adam continued to sift through the pile, waiting for something to grab his attention and hold it…

And then he found it.

'Blue Eyes', the photograph was called, snapped by chance during the Rush Valley Disaster, as the military's civilian prisoners were marched away. The background was filled with dark-haired, dark-skinned people, most sporting some kind of automail.

But dominating the picture was someone very different. A girl, with pale skin and long blonde hair pulled into a rough ponytail, standing out in stark contrast from those surrounding her. One hand was resting on the shoulder of a dark girl with two automail legs. She was looking directly into the camera, piercing sapphire-coloured eyes reflecting her wariness, her fear and desperate, aching uncertainty.

This was Blue Eyes, the nameless girl with the haunting stare, captured by the military when they quashed the rebel groups in Rush Valley. It had become known as the Rush Valley Disaster, and the automail industry had yet to recover. Rush Valley was no longer the heart of the automail community, and no town had sprung up to take its place. In fact, the best place to go for automail was a mechanic in Stone Tree, over the mountains from Rush Valley. And that little town was a far cry from the once-bustling city.

The picture in his hands intrigued Adam. It was one of the most famous photographs of the time, making headlines in the newspaper, used as rebel propaganda.

But did anyone know who she actually was?

He flipped the photo over, reading the words 'David Mitchelli' printed on the back.

Adam felt resolution steal into his heart. He knew what he would write. A piece addressing the chaos and uncertainty of the Fall of the Military, showing how it resounded in people's lives for years to come, how it changed all it touched, for better or for worse.

Adam would find out who Blue Eyes really was, and what had happened to her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Adam sank down into a chair, grateful David Mitchelli had seen him on such short notice. Mitchelli was not what he would have expected in a famed photographer – a balding, middle-aged man with a slight beer belly. But there was something in his smile that suggested kindness.

"I won't be long," he assured the older man. "I only have one question."

He pulled the photo from his pocket, handing it to Mitchelli. Mitchelli sighed, smiling sadly at the girl in the picture, her captivating gaze forever immortalised.

"What's her name?" Adam asked, pen poised over his notebook.

But Mitchelli shook his head. "I couldn't tell you. The rebels were being marched away, divvied up into prison trains...a group of prisoners were being marched past, and this girl...those eyes just grabbed me and wouldn't let go. I raised my camera and took the picture on instinct. It was a once in lifetime shot."

He laughed, a little bitterly. "But I have no idea who she is. She was hustled into one of the trucks, driven away to one of the prison camps, I suppose. And I took my roll of film, got the pictures printed...and this one just seemed to strike a chord with people. That photo practically made my reputation…and I don't even know her name."

**oooooooo**

While it was rather disappointing that Blue Eyes's photographer didn't know her, Adam was not so easily discouraged. A few hours of research in the library, and he learned that those who lived in Rush Valley were required to register with the census when they came of age.

It was a gamble, but Blue Eyes looked to be in her late teens – there was a chance she'd turned eighteen and had to register before the Rush Valley Disaster.

Luckily, the census was public record, and could be accessed by anyone.

**oooooooo**

It took days.

Days to go through each and every record from a few years before the Rush Valley Disaster, analysing each and every photograph to try to find the same eyes as those in the photograph in his pocket. Adam worked through them with patience and many, many cups of coffee. He would arrive at the library as soon as it opened, and return home only when the librarian was locking up.

Finally, nearing the end of the 'R' category, he found her.

The same pale skin, the same long, straw-gold hair. The same eyes – with that elusive, light sapphire hue. Adam pulled the file out, copying down every piece of information into his notebook. Date of birth, her height, her weight, anything that might help him track her down.

Blue Eyes finally had a name.

She was Winry Rockbell.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Winry Rockbell.

Adam had a name to run with, which he suspected was more than anyone else ever had in regards to Blue Eyes.

No, not Blue Eyes anymore. Winry Rockbell.

The shabby census records provided titbits of information – she'd been an automail mechanic from Risembool, renowned for her work on the limbs of Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist.

Adam noted that down too.

But after the Rush Valley Disaster, the census had been abandoned and never taken up again. There was no mention of what happened to Winry afterwards, or where she had gone. Adam settled for searching the Black List, the list of POW's taken by the military during that year.

The files were somewhat classified, not to be accessed by the general public, so Adam was banking on pure journalistic privilege. If he sent a nicely-worded letter to the administrator, surely he'd be granted access?

**oooooooo**

It took a while, but his request to access the Black List was finally approved. Security wasn't as tight as it had once been – he could thank the Fall of the Military for that.

Searching the Black List didn't take quite so long, now that he knew who he was looking for. Winry Rockbell was listed down the bottom, a short sentence saying she had been sent Crestfall Detention Centre, but that was it.

Adam searched for records of Crestfall Detention Centre, but there was nothing. No records of prisoners, of supplies, not even its location! After spending several days scouring the records, Adam admitted defeat. Winry's trail had gone cold.

At least, her paper trail. But perhaps not her human one.

Adam flipped back through his notes, circling the name Edward Elric. If she'd worked on his automail, he'd probably know more about her than Adam could get from the records. Not to mention he'd been a State Alchemist, there should be plenty of records about him.

**oooooooo**

Again, Adam had to wait until his request for information was approved. The news came with a messenger, delivering Edward Elric's records. It came while he tutored Thomas, a boisterous eight year-old who needed help with his writing skills. Adam knew he'd rushed through the rest of the session, but had been unable to hold in his excitement. He'd make it up to Thomas and his parents later.

But his enthusiasm soon died. Edward and his brother, Alphonse, had died during the Fall of the Military, during one of the many riots.

Dead end. Again.

But Adam did not give up. There'd surely be paperwork relating to them, right? And with a bit of luck, some papers relating to the work Winry did. If he couldn't find out what had happened to her, he could find out what she had done. It might not be much, but it was surely better than nothing.

One problem though, to access the records of a State Alchemist, he needed the written permission of the officer in charge of those records at the time.

He needed to track down someone called Riza Hawkeye.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Adam wanted to scream in frustration. Riza Hawkeye had served with the military, had been an exceptional officer from what he could glean – there were even records of her after the Fall of the Military.

But then she vanished. There were records of an R. Hawkeye up until six years ago, then they simply cut out. Nothing, nada, zip.

He was getting really tired of dead ends.

Adam was still in a bad mood when he was tutoring Thomas. It was so apparent to all around him, even the child picked it up.

"Are you okay, Mr. Lithson?"

Adam dredged up a smile. "I'm fine, kid. Just in a bad mood."

"How come?"

"I'm doing a story, and I need to find a woman called Riza Hawkeye, except about six years ago, any record of her just cuts out. I haven't been able to find anything on her."

"Maybe you're looking in the wrong place," a voice sounded from behind him.

Adam jumped. Thomas' father – a Mr. Jean Havoc – had come up behind them.

"Daddy!" Thomas shrilled, seizing one of the arms of his father's wheelchair.

Jean chuckled, ruffling his son's hair. "As I was saying," he addressed Adam again. "You're looking in the wrong place."

"I checked every record there was," Adam defended, "There was nothing, not even a record of where a Miss Riza Hawkeye worked!"

"Well, there wouldn't be, would there?" Jean smirked. "Six years ago, Miss Riza Hawkeye became Mrs. Riza Mustang."

Five seconds of silence.

"A marriage!" Adam gaped. "I nearly lost the trail because of a _marriage_?"

"I can give you their address if you want," Jean said affably. "You want it?"

"Mr. Havoc, I would be beyond grateful."

**oooooooo**

435 Maison Avenue, home of Riza and Roy Mustang, was a nice house. Not particularly large or extravagant, but it gave off a 'lived-in' feeling…a feeling of home. It was painted in soft beiges and cool blues, with expansive windows. A large yard was bordered by a neatly-trimmed hedge, with a battered swing set standing in the centre and a line of washing hanging out to dry.

As he approached, Adam couldn't help thinking it looked touchingly domestic.

Adam rang the doorbell, listening to the chimes reverberate throughout the house. The door opened, and Adam found himself looking at a young girl, about four years old. Curious red-brown eyes peered up at him from under a mop of soft black hair.

"Hello," Adam greeted, "I'm looking for Mrs. Riza Mustang."

A man appeared in the doorway. His hair was the same colour as the girl's, and his eyes were a piercing coal-black. Adam knew the look of a military man when he saw it, and this man definitely had it. The straight back, the set shoulders, the muscles slightly tensed with a wariness he had yet to discard. He had the air of a commander, but when he spoke his voice was surprisingly soft.

One hand rested on the girl's shoulder. "Grace, why don't you go find your Mummy?"

The girl – apparently named Grace – nodded and disappeared into the house.

Her father gave an easy smile and introduced himself.

"I'm Riza's husband, Roy Mustang."

"Pleased to meet you," Adam said, shaking the proffered hand. "I'm Adam Lithson."

"What do you want to see Riza for?" Roy asked as he invited Adam inside.

"I'm becoming a journalist, and I need Mrs. Mustang's written permission to access some of the more sensitive records to get the information I want."

Roy nodded as he guided Adam through a corridor. Both men sat at the kitchen table, and Adam took silent stock of his surroundings.

The floor beneath his feet was tiled, and the table was made of some sort of light-coloured wood he couldn't identify. Two framed pictures sat on a shelf. One showed a small wedding party in front of a church; Roy standing beside a woman Adam assumed was Riza – a blonde woman with the same redwood-coloured eyes as the young girl. The other photo was of the family, the couple standing with their daughter between them.

The room was tidy, but there was definite signs a child's habitation. A few crayons and a pile of paper tucked into a corner, a single shoe tossed underneath a chair.

"So," Roy began, "What is it you need to find?"

"I'm trying to track down a woman called Winry Rockbell," Adam explained, "You might know her as Blue Eyes."

Roy raised an eyebrow as his mouth opened. But before he could reply, they were interrupted by the arrival of the very person Adam had wanted to see.

Riza Mustang was an imposing woman. Not in the sense of height or build, but in the way she radiated authority and calm assurance. Adam easily identified her as the woman in the wedding photo, though her hair was slightly longer now, and a slight bulge at her stomach told him the couple was expecting their second child.

"You wanted to see me, Mr…"

"Lithson, Adam Lithson. Mrs. Mustang, I wanted to talk to you about the woman in this photo." He handed her the famous Blue Eyes photograph. "The woman is-"

"Winry Rockbell," Riza nodded, though she seemed saddened. "I met her on several occasions."

"I'm looking for information on her, but I'm afraid I need your permission to access the records."

Riza shook her head. For a moment, Adam thought she was refusing his request, but then she spoke again.

"The records about her are scarce at best…to learn about Winry, you should see Edward Elric."

"What?" Adam was shocked. "But the records and newspapers say that both Elric brothers died during the riots."

"They do?" Roy snorted, "What do you know, you _do_ learn something new everyday."

Riza frowned. "Yes, everyone thought that for a while. It turned out there was a case of mistaken identity – some people claiming to be the Elric brothers had been killed – but I thought it had been straightened out long ago."

Adam shook his head. "The records still list both brothers as casualties of war."

"Just goes to show, you can't trust paperwork," Roy grinned.

Riza's eyes narrowed, but her only answer was her husband's unrepentant grin. Adam couldn't help but feel that there was some history between them in regards to paperwork.

"In any case, Mr. Lithson," Riza addressed him once more. "I guarantee the Elric brothers are alive and perfectly healthy. They come to visit now and then – they live in Risembool."

On the way out, Adam nearly ploughed two women into the sidewalk. A mousy-blonde teenager with startling green eyes was approaching the Mustangs's door with a woman Adam had no trouble identifying as her mother.

"Oh, hello," the woman smiled. "Are you a friend of the Mustangs?"

Adam laughed, "Not exactly, I was just calling in for some information. I'm Adam Lithson, by the way."

The woman smiled. "Gracia Hughes, and this is my daughter, Elysia."

"Pleased to meet you." Adam shook the extended hands.

"Well, perhaps we'll see you around."

"Maybe so."

With another serene smile, Gracia disappeared into the house with her daughter in tow. Adam trotted down the driveway, his mind already on other things.

Like how to get to Risembool.

**oooooooo**

Adam did his homework. Before booking a train ticket to Risembool, he found out all he could about the town.

Risembool had been a bustling town until the Civil War, then it just seemed to shut down. The Rockbell automail (and Adam had been overjoyed to find that name, but slightly disappointed to learn it had been Winry's grandmother who had run it) had been practically the only thing keeping the place alive. Then came the Fall of the Military.

From what accounts indicated, when the Elric brothers first began working against the military, it had thrown the Council into a panic. They had known about the formidable abilities of both alchemists, and feared that they might be able to attract others to the rebel side. So, desperate to root them out, the military targeted Risembool, a known 'bolt-hole' of the Elric Brothers.

The entire town was taken by the military. And on July 16th 1917, all the inhabitants were marched from their homes and massacred in the fields. Even nine years on, the day was still known as the Night of Blood, the advent of one of the military's most inhuman slaughters.

But the land had been valuable, so the fields and houses had been left untouched. Which was why, after the Fall of the Military, people returned to Risembool. People whose houses had been destroyed, and were looking for a place to call home. Almost overnight, the town's population went from zero to over a hundred.

And that was just the beginning. More and more displaced families began to make their homes there, soon new houses were being built in barren fields, and land was being bought to help support a family. It only took four years for Risembool to transform from a backwater village to a chaotic town.

The Fall of the Military had first killed Risembool, then saved it.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Risembool was indeed, a chaotic town. As far as Adam could tell, the new buildings had been constructed around the old, giving the place a very haphazard look. The town centre was very cramped, the new houses and offices pressed together like jigsaw pieces. If he hadn't known exactly what he was looking for, he would have been lost in no time.

Adam followed the directions given to him by the Mustangs, finally reaching a lone dirt road. At the end stood a two-storey house, with a wide verandah and a spacious yard fenced with a low stone wall.

He knocked, and the door was pulled open.

Adam was facing a man with sharp golden eyes, his blonde hair pulled back in a loose ponytail. He eyed Adam distrustfully, leaning against the doorway in a casually arrogant pose.

"Yes?"

"Excuse me, I'm asking about a woman named Winry Rockbell-"

The man's face closed up, his eyes flat and hard. His jaw clenched, throat flexing as though trying to swallow. Before Adam could say another word, the door was shut in his face. Not slammed…just shut.

For several moments, Adam faced the bare wood of the door, wondering what had just happened. Then there was a pounding of feet, an admonishing cry of 'Brother!', and muttered grumbling. Then the door opened again.

This time it revealed a man with soft grey eyes and mousy hair, and an apologetic expression stamped on his features. A ginger cat was twining itself around his legs.

"I'm really sorry about Ed…"

So that had been the infamous Fullmetal Alchemist? Then Adam assumed the man in front of him had to be Alphonse Elric. Yet Adam couldn't help being puzzled. The records said that Winry had been Edward's automail mechanic, yet the man who answered the door had no missing limbs, both arms and both legs had been flesh and blood. No hint of automail.

"He just gets grumpy sometimes. What was it you wanted?"

Adam repeated his request. Again, at the words 'Winry Rockbell', the younger Elric's face closed over, something deep and sorrowful entering his eyes.

"We better talk outside," he muttered, shutting the door behind him, "I'm Al, by the way."

**oooooooo**

"So what do you want to know about Winry?" Al asked as they walked slowly through the fields.

Adam shrugged, "Anything you can tell me would be helpful."

Al smiled, but there was little joy in his expression. It was almost like he was looking back on bittersweet memories, fond yet painful. "Ed, Winry and I were best friends for as long as I can remember. All of us were born in Risembool – we're actually living in her house right now."

"What happened to yours?"

"It burned down," Al said succinctly. "But you wanted to know about Winry – well, her parents died when she was very young, and she went to live with her grandmother, Pinako Rockbell. She was an automail mechanic, a very good one – she did such good work with brother's arm."

Adam got the impression Al was trying to rush through this. Like ripping a bandaid off a healing wound, it seemed as though he found it difficult to talk about Winry.

"When our mother died, we lived with them for a while. Then we left for the military. Several years after that, Winry went to Rush Valley to become an apprentice to an automail mechanic. She was doing really well. And then…the Rush Valley Disaster…"

"What happened to Winry after the Rush Valley Disaster?" Adam asked. "I know she was sent to Crestfall Detention Centre, but I can't find any records about it."

Al's eyes were distant, and his voice was very quiet when he spoke. "There wouldn't be. Most of the records were lost when Crestfall burned down."

"It burned down?"

Al nodded. "You see, we had just…completed a quest of ours…when we heard about the Rush Valley Disaster. We heard Winry was sent to Crestfall, so we went with the others when they took it over and freed the prisoners. And when we asked some of the guards about Winry…"

The distant eyes had become startlingly bleak. "They said that only a handful of prisoners had survived. The prisoners had just been freed, and we went to them…called for her…but…"

"You couldn't find Winry," Adam whispered.

No wonder Ed had shut the door in his face. Adam couldn't imagine what it must have been like to arrive at that detention centre, sure you were about to reunite with a much-beloved friend...only to be told that your friend had died only days before you arrived. That was a wound that ran deep, and having him turn up on their doorstep and ask about her would have only reopened it.

"Brother was devastated," Al said softly. "When we learned that…that everyone in Risembool had been…we came back and tried to help the town start up again." A slight smile. "And it became so much more than we could have hoped for. It might be very busy, but after Central…it actually seems peaceful here."

Adam nodded. Though the town itself was bursting with life, out here in the fields, it seemed like a different world.

Feeling a need to lift the mood, he joked, "Did you know both you and your brother are registered as dead?"

"No!" Al looked genuinely surprised. "I mean, I'd heard that there was a mix-up…but I never thought it was still going on."

"Caused me no end of trouble," Adam chuckled.

There was a pause, both men looked out over the rolling hills, bathed in red and gold by the sinking sun.

"Is that all you wanted to know?" Al finally asked.

"Yeah, that's plenty of information, thanks."

"What are you going to do now?"

Adam shrugged. "Track down Crestfall survivors, talk to them, I guess."

He dug the Blue Eyes photo out of his pocket. "I'm sorry for dredging up bad memories, but I just…I saw this picture, and felt that she deserved to have her story told. The world should know who she was, and what happened to her."

Al took the picture, brushing his thumb regretfully over Winry's face. "I know what you mean – people should know about Winry, about who she was…so they can…"

Al trailed off, but Adam understood. So the world could have some idea of the damage dealt by the corrupt military. That such a young woman, with such promise in her life, could die so brutally and needlessly…

He became aware that Al was still speaking. "When we saw this photo for the first time…you can't imagine it. I actually cried, and Brother locked himself in his room for hours. Seeing this…"

Adam couldn't conceive of it. The last physical record of their friend, showing her as a prisoner. The last time they ever saw Winry's face, in a photograph taken while she was being led to her death.

"It's okay," he said as Al handed the picture back, "You don't have to tell me. I can't imagine it, but you don't have to tell me."

Al sighed. "It does ease, you know," he said, with a vague tone to his words as though he were talking to himself. "It never actually goes away, but it eases. The grief becomes a part of you, and you learn to carry it with you…but it's different for me than it is for Ed."

"How?" Adam couldn't help asking.

Al gave another bittersweet smile. "I've always loved Winry like a sister…but for Ed, it gradually became something more. He finds it so difficult to open up to people, but he really did trust her. And then…"

"And then she died," Adam finished.

And he'd bet Edward Elric still hadn't recovered.

"Well, thank you for talking to me." He shook Al's hand. "I'll be heading back to Central now."

"Goodbye," Al waved as Adam started to walk away.

**oooooooo**

Adam thought long and hard on the journey home. Thought about how he was going to find the Crestfall survivors, thought about what he was going to write in his article, thought about how he could possibly communicate Winry's devastating loss to the complete strangers who would read it.

But most of all, he thought about Winry Rockbell. A young woman who had been born in the beautiful town of Risembool, who had become a promising automail mechanic in Rush Valley…and who had died a prisoner in the dark cells of Crestfall.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Crestfall survivors turned out to be easy to track down if you knew who you were looking for. But so far Travis Eam, Crystal Slocher, and Sharon Reynard had the exact same story.

Winry had apparently held herself a little apart from the others. Not to say she didn't interact – those who had spoken to her thought her a kind girl, with a strong will and a resilient spirit – but she had always seemed a little distant. A little out of place, though whether anyone could actually be in place in a prison camp was a matter of opinion. Crystal had told him Winry often looked after people injured in the guards' frequent beatings. But the only person she spent any length of time with was Paninya.

Adam had already checked Paninya. Paninya Yula was the girl whose shoulder Winry rested her hand on in the Blue Eyes photo. Paninya had been taken to Crestfall along with her, and had apparently died in the fire also. Another dead end.

The three survivors he had talked to so far told him both girls had often stood alone in the exercise yard and sat alone at meals, constantly planning their escape.

They all told the same thing – they knew Winry for her escape attempts, but didn't know much about the woman herself.

He had learned something interesting from Travis, though. Two days before the fire, Winry had attempted to escape again, and been caught. Her right leg had been broken by a particularly brutish guard.

To Adam, this seemed to explain why Winry died in the fire. With a broken leg, she probably couldn't get out of the building in time. And at least Sharon had been able to give him Crestfall's location – the detention centre had been built just outside Rush Valley.

Adam flicked through his notebook – he'd only reached the fourth name on his list of twenty-three, and already he was dreading the reply. 'I'm sorry, but Winry pretty much kept to herself, except for a dark girl named Paninya…'

But now he had to see Daniel West, the fourth name on his list of survivors.

**oooooooo**

Daniel turned out to be a man in his thirties, with sharp brown eyes and black hair spotted with a few lone strands of grey. Adam was preparing for another 'I don't really know Winry' story as he handed the man the photo.

Daniel laughed, but it was laced with pity. "I remember this girl. She was always coming up with plans to escape…but the guards always caught her. Poor kid, they used to beat her until she couldn't walk."

"Well, I want to know more about her," Adam explained. "You see, she died in the fire-"

But Daniel cut him off. "She didn't die."

Slightly miffed, Adam tried again. "I assure you, there is no record of Winry surviving the fire, and I assume she couldn't get out of her cell in time to escape the flames…"

Daniel interrupted again. "You assume wrong, Mr. Lithson. You see, the only reason I survived was because she let me out."

"Winry let you out?"

"Yeah, the doors were bolted on the outside, and do you really think the guards were going to risk their necks to come back inside and unbolt them? No – most of us were left to burn. The whole place was getting hotter and hotter, and I figured I was on my way out, but then Winry unbolted my door."

Slightly awed remembrance coated his words as he continued, "Don't ask me how she got out, but she looked horrible, her right leg was dragging, and she was badly burned all over her right side…but she told me to get out as fast as I could, and she'd keep unbolting the doors. So I ran for the river."

"And what happened to Winry?"

"I don't know. But I am sure of one thing. While we were in the river, taking refuge from the flames and watching the detention centre burn, I saw Winry and Paninya running into the forest. It was chaos, everyone shouting and running to the river…and I guess they figured it was easy enough to run the other way."

"They weren't caught again?"

"Not as far as I know. Everyone assumed they'd died in the fire, so no one ever went searching."

Adam was astounded. Winry had somehow managed to escape the fire? But if so, why hadn't she ever returned to Risembool or Rush Valley?

Adam was determined to find out.

**oooooooo**

The map dominated the table. In the library, Adam had found a map of Rush Valley and the surrounding towns. From Daniel's story, Winry had been badly injured – she and Paninya would have needed to find the closest medical treatment possible, which was why he was looking at the map in the first place.

He pinpointed the location of the Crestfall detention centre. Daniel had said that Winry and Paninya ran into the forest, so that meant they headed into the mountains...

He traced the route, finding the nearest town over the mountains was a place called High Water – a small, out of the way town, but one that would have had sufficient medical treatment.

Now to ask about their census and medical records…

**oooooooo**

No luck. The records showed nothing relating to either Winry Rockbell or Paninya Yula. Remembering that they were prisoners of the State, Adam re-checked every single document, thinking maybe they had changed their names. And still nothing. He'd called up all towns within a day's journey of High Water, and still nothing.

Adam sighed. It was nearly a full day's journey on foot to reach High Water from Crestfall, and it was unlikely Winry survived so long a journey through hostile terrain with her wounds.

So after escaping from the detention centre, Paninya and Winry perished somewhere in the mountains, victim to either wild animals, the elements, or their injuries.

For a long time, Adam stared at the map, at the vast expanse of forest, and wondered where the two women had met their end. They had been nineteen years old, and would have been turning twenty-eight this year if they had survived.

With a sigh, Adam began rolling up the map again, tucking it back on the shelf. He couldn't help but feel a little depressed. After all they'd lived through, all they had survived...Winry and Paninya had died in the wilderness, without even a grave to mark their passing.

"Oh, Mr. Lithson?" the librarian asked as he started for the door.

"Yes, Mrs. Clark?"

Mrs. Clark was fairly young, and so quiet she bordered on timid. He noticed she was holding several large scrolls of paper under her arm.

"Mr. Lithson, I have the maps you wanted…"

"Oh, that's not necessary anymore, the first one you gave me was fine."

"But sir, that map was made in 1925, and you said you were looking for older ones…"

Adam was about to wave her away, when her words registered. The map had been made in 1925 – eight years after the Fall of the Military.

"Actually, Mrs. Clark, I think I will need those," Adam said as he took the maps from her hands.

He spread them out on the table he had so recently vacated, and began scanning one after the other.

He was looking at the dates. A lot of towns around Rush Valley had sprung up in the wake of the Rush Valley Disaster, and if he had been looking at a map made eight years after the Fall of the Military…some of those towns wouldn't even have been building plans when Winry and Paninya made their escape.

At last, he found it. A map of Rush Valley and the surrounding area made in 1916, one year before the Fall of the Military.

There were almost no surrounding towns. The expanse of mountains around Rush Valley was bleak and empty, and Adam did not feel hopeful. How could Winry and Paninya have survived a journey over them, with Winry injured?

But he looked all the same…and then stared.

According to this map, the nearest town was Stone Tree.

It was as though a light bulb clicked on in Adam's brain. Stone Tree had been a small town until about a year after the Fall of the Military. Then, a gifted automail mechanic began practicing there, and it began bustling with people. Could it be that Winry…?

Refusing to get his hopes up, Adam sent an urgent message asking for their medical records. But he couldn't help wondering; if Winry was still alive, why had she never returned home?

**oooooooo**

For days, Adam waited for the records. When the copies arrived, he all-but tore the thick package apart in his haste. He looked at the hospital records first, and could have crowed in triumph when he found it.

Renee and Pita Waterford, two cousins, admitted two days after the Cresthill fire. Pita was treated for minor burns, while Renee had been in the hospital for weeks with severe burns to her right side, and a broken leg that had then contracted gangrene. The infection was so severe, the entire limb had to be amputated.

He checked for photos, and there was no doubt that the woman called Pita Waterford was Paninya. A little older than in the Blue Eyes photo, her eyebrows singed and parts of her body taped with bandages, but it was still Paninya. Little could be determined about Renee Waterford – she was swathed in bandages, her hair completely burned away...but those bright blue eyes told him everything.

Winry Rockbell was alive. She was Renee Waterford, the woman whose automail had single-handedly made Stone Tree famous.

But that still didn't answer his question. Why had Winry never returned to her old life?

And then he remembered. Remembered the Night of Blood, when all the population of Risembool were massacred, remembered the mix-up that had the Elric brothers listed as killed in action.

When everyone Winry was close to died, she probably wouldn't have seen the point in assuming her original identity. There would have been no purpose in revealing to those around them that they weren't who they claimed to be. Both she and Paninya would have been happy to live out the remainder of their lives as Renee and Pita Waterford.

For nine years, Winry had lived with the belief that the Elric brothers were dead. And for nine years, they had believed the same of her.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Adam stood in front of the Elric house. He was positive that Winry Rockbell was alive, and he knew Edward and Alphonse should have the chance to come with him when he went to Stone Tree.

When he knocked, it was Al who answered.

"Hello," he said politely, though his eyes were wary. "Is there something else?"

Adam nodded. "I'd like to talk to your brother, too."

"Are you sure? I told you that Brother…"

"I'm sure."

"Okay, but don't say I didn't warn you." Al opened the door and invited him inside.

"Ed!" Al called up the stairs, "Someone wants to see you!"

Ed came down the stairs slowly, a book tucked under one arm. Adam caught a glimpse of the title; Advanced Alchemical Teachings.

Ed didn't look pleased to be interrupted, and looked even less pleased when he spotted Adam. "What the hell is it this time?"

"Brother!" Al said crossly, "Be nice."

Adam wondered how he should approach such a touchy subject. Then decided to just come right out and just say it.

"Winry didn't die in the Crestfall fire," Adam stated.

Both jerked as though physically struck. Al went pale, and Ed looked like he was about to hit Adam.

"Two days after the Crestfall fire," Adam hastened to add, sensing he had precious little time to make his case before Ed threw him out, "Two women were admitted to the Stone Tree hospital, both being treated for burns. This is Pita Waterford."

Adam handed them the photo he found in the hospital records. Ed and Al stared.

"This is Paninya," Al gasped. "She survived?"

"With her companion, her supposed cousin, Renee Waterford."

This time, Ed held the picture so tightly Adam feared he would permanently crumple it.

"It-it looks like…" Ed took a deep, steadying breath, his eyes looking suspiciously moist. "Al, she…"

But he never finished his sentence. Both Elric brothers seemed incapable of speech, staring at the photo as though they had never seen one before.

Adam smiled. "Would you like to join me for a trip to Stone Tree?"

**oooooooo**

Upon reaching Stone Tree, the Waterford residence was pointed out by a helpful man in the town, who probably assumed they were new automail customers. It was a short walk, but Adam could sense the tension in Ed and Al as they drew nearer.

They were approaching a large, two-storey house surrounded by a low wooden fence. A sign outside had the words 'Waterford Automail' printed in neat black letters. A golden-furred dog was lying on the verandah like a lazy puddle of sunlight, and it raised it's head and barked an alarm when it saw them.

A chicken coop was partially hidden by the house, but the quiet clucks of happy poultry drifted through the air. There were brightly-coloured flowers framing the fence, and a vegetable garden to one side. A woman was kneeling there, picking tomatoes and placing them in the basket beside her. At the dog's barks, she looked up and rose to greet them.

Beside him, Adam felt both Elric brothers draw a sharp breath.

The woman was dark, with brown skin and thick black hair. She wore conservative clothes, a light top and shorts, and there was a carelessness in the way she swung the tomato basket that lent her an air of mischief. Below the cuff of her pants, Adam could see that both legs were made of automail, the metal glinting brightly in the sun.

She approached with an easy grin on her face. "Hey there! I'm Pita. If you're customers you may have to wait, Renee's working right now-"

"Paninya?" Al asked, his voice carrying his astonishment.

The woman blinked, clearly shaken.

"I-I said…" She trailed off, staring at Ed. Her eyes lit with recognition.

"Ed?" she gasped, "Edward Elric?"

Ed nodded, seemingly as stunned as Al. "Yeah, guess you wouldn't know Al out of the armour, would you?"

"Al?" Paninya choked, turning back to the man who'd first addressed her.

Al nodded, grinning at her confusion.

"What! B-but how? We…they-" Paninya's stuttering was cut short by a voice from inside the house.

"Can you watch the shop for a while? I need to grab some screws, Mr. McGregor needs a new set…"

Then she appeared. Renee Waterford. Blue Eyes. Winry Rockbell. Adam didn't doubt this was the girl in the photo. Not even through the many differences.

Her hair was shorter – the end of the ponytail brushed the middle of her back instead of reaching past her waist. Her face had changed, the remains of baby fat had vanished, the lines of her features hardened and sharpened by what she had endured. Her right shoulder, neck and side bore the scars of old burns, and her right leg was made of automail.

But the eyes told the story. The same bright sapphire blue, only deeper. These eyes understood the nature of pain, these eyes were wiser and far older than those caught in that photograph all those years ago. But they were still the same…fathomless and piercing.

And if there was even a hint of doubt in Adam's mind, it was banished the moment he looked at the Elric brothers. Their eyes were wide, and their fists were clenched so tightly the knuckles bleached. Ed appeared to be shaking.

The woman noticed them, smiled welcomingly, started towards them…and stopped.

She stared at Ed, her mouth open, her eyes wide and startled. Her gaze drifted to Al, then back to Ed, then to Al, then Ed again.

There was a charged silence.

Then slowly, carefully, as though afraid of breaking the spell, Ed stepped towards the woman frozen in front of them.

"Winry?" he breathed, his voice breaking like thin glass.

"E-Ed?" Her distinctive blue eyes sparkled with tears. "Al?"

Ed reached towards her, gently cupping her face in his hands, still staring at her with the expression of a man who believed he was about to wake up. Winry's eyes flickered to his right hand, her own rising to fold over it.

"You did it," she choked out. "You really did it."

She sniffed loudly, then admitted, "I thought…the papers said you and Al were dead."

With a soft sob, she threw her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest. Ed's arms twined around her, holding her tightly to him.

"Winry," he murmured, "We thought _you_ were dead…went to Crestfall, and they said…we thought…"

Abandoning any attempt at speech, Ed rested his cheek against the crown of Winry's head and let his tears fall into her hair.

Al stood by, blinking back the moisture in his own eyes and looking slightly uncomfortable, until Winry disentangled one arm from Ed and yanked him into the hug by his jacket.

Adam felt his own eyes grow suspiciously wet at the heartfelt reunion. Paninya was the same, smiling and sniffling at the same time.

"Oh God, Al…" Winry sighed. "You're back to normal…and Ed, no more automail for you, huh?"

"No more for me," Ed agreed. "But Winry, your leg…"

"Your shoulder…" Al traced the scars with his fingers. "What happened?"

Winry gave a watery smile. "I'll tell you later. But don't stand out here, come inside, come on!"

**oooooooo**

At Winry and Paninya's table, the whole story came out. Two days before the Crestfall fire, Winry had her right leg broken for trying to escape. It was left to heal without treatment, so Winry had tried to splint it with a wooden table leg and strips of cloth torn from her blanket. When the fire broke out, Winry had been lying on the floor of her cell in agony, attempting to reset her improvised splint.

The door to her cell barred, Winry had been unable to get out as the flames drew ever closer. When the wooden door went up, Winry realised she could either try for freedom, or die on her knees.

Winry ran at the flaming door, battering it down and escaping into the corridor. But her shoulder, neck and side were badly burned. And her broken leg dragged through the flames, all but incinerating it.

Winry had managed to stagger down the corridor, drawing back the bolts on every door she could find, until she came to Paninya's cell. And both girls had conspired to make one last bid for freedom. While everyone ran towards the river and safety and the guards, Winry and Paninya ran towards the forest.

Reaching Stone Tree took two days. There was hardly anything left of Winry's leg, and her horrific burns swiftly became infected. Paninya had to half-carry her all the way, following a deer track over the mountains, sleeping under blankets of pine needles because they were too scared of discovery to light a fire.

They knew they couldn't give their real names – they were registered as prisoners of the State, and if even a whisper of their existence reached official ears they would be dragged back to a detention centre. If they were to have any hope of surviving, the entire world had to believe that Winry Rockbell and Paninya Yula had died in the fire at Cresthill.

So, moving painfully over the seemingly-indomitable mountains, they came up with their stories. Winry was now Renee Waterford, a mechanic with a talent for automail surgery. Paninya was her cousin (people would never have believed they were sisters), Pita Waterford, a woman with inside knowledge of automail, whose accident with a plough had inspired her cousin to work with the artificial limbs.

Renee's parent had died when she was a child, and she then came to live with Pita's family. They were a very isolated home, living high in the mountains, occasionally appearing in Rush Valley for the sake of Pita's automail and Renee's mechanical education. The story would cover most of their bases, and they even made up names for their other family members.

Explaining their journey to Stone Tree and Winry's injuries would prove more difficult. They decided to say that their house had burned down, killing all the other members of their family. Pita had been outside and so remained relatively unharmed, but Renee had been trapped inside when a beam fell on her leg, breaking it. She had been badly burned by the fire before her cousin got her out.

As to why they chose to come to Stone Tree – they said it was closer to their home than Rush Valley, and considering the severity of Renee's injuries, Pita had to get her to the closest hospital available.

At the hospital, the doctors told Winry – or as they knew her, Renee – that her leg was too badly damaged to be saved. The shattered bone, the hideous burns and the resulting gangrene had conspired to all but obliterate the limb. There was no choice but amputation.

Winry told the doctors to go ahead and cut it off, she'd just make herself an automail leg. It took her several days to get over the amputation and her injuries, and it was nearly a week before Winry began sitting up and taking interest in the world again.

Paninya laughed when she told the group that as soon as she was herself again, Winry had begun planning the automail attachment. Adam and Al had laughed, and Ed had smiled as though at some fond memory.

But then Winry and Paninya had read about the riots. With Edward Elric and Alphonse Elric listed in black and white among the deceased. And when they found out a few weeks later that all of Risembool had been massacred…Winry and Paninya hadn't seen any point in revealing their true identities.

They had donned the mantle of Renee and Pita Waterford, even buying their own house and setting up their own business. Winry's automail had put Stone Tree on the map, and transformed a quiet little village into a bustling town.

"I can't believe you guys were only a train ride away all this time," Winry sniffled, "For so long, we thought…"

"Yeah," Ed muttered, his arm curling around her shoulders. "I know, believe me, I know."

Adam sipped his coffee and hid a satisfied smile.


	8. Chapter 8

**Epilogue**

One Year Later:

It was a nice wedding, Adam decided. Rather small, but definitely nice. He remembered how pleasantly surprised he'd been when he found the invitation in the mail:

You are invited to attend the wedding of:

Edward Elric and Winry Rockbell

on:

August 23rd

at:

Central United Church

R.S.V.P by 20th July.

The young couple were grinning at the front of the church, each looking radiant in their formal wear. Al and Paninya were best man and bridesmaid respectively, and the grins on their face were rivalling the newly-weds. Elysia and Gracia were sitting in the front row. Roy and Riza were beside them, with Grace beside her father and Riza holding their newborn son, Maes. Even Havoc was here, with his wife and Thomas.

"You may kiss the bride," the priest finished.

Ed grinned, lifting Winry's veil to place a deep and very involved kiss on her lips. Al's smile seemed to split his face, and Paninya began applauding, which started everyone else clapping as well.

When they pulled apart and began walking down the aisle, Winry hurled the bouquet over her shoulder. Paninya leapt for the flowers, caught them, and whooped in delight.

The reception was small, but felt nicely intimate. Elysia was playing with Grace, showing a surprisingly cheerful tolerance for the young girl's exuberance. Her mother was talking to Havoc, his wife and the Mustangs, cooing over the infant Maes, and he overheard her saying 'he would have been honoured'.

Paninya was laughing with Al and Thomas, the eight-year-old sitting in Al's lap and gazing in awe at Paninya's automail. Adam found himself alone, sipping at the champagne in his glass, or what remained of it after the numerous toasts.

He looked around for Ed and the newly-dubbed Mrs. Elric, and was surprised that they were nowhere to be found. Adam shrugged, and ambled out onto the balcony.

To find it already taken.

Ed and Winry were sitting with their backs to him, apparently gazing at the stars. Ed's arm was draped around Winry's shoulders, and hers were tight around his waist. Though reluctant to disturb the newly-weds, Adam still felt as that he should offer his congratulations. He approached, and opened his mouth…

Ed held up his hand in the universal gesture for silence. "She's sleeping," he breathed.

Adam glanced down, and saw that Winry was indeed asleep, her head resting against Ed's shoulder as she dozed. He smiled at the expression on Ed's face, at the tenderness and love in his eyes. Adam turned to go.

And was stopped by the sound of Ed's voice. "I don't think I ever really thanked you."

Adam was bewildered. "For what?"

"For finding her. If you never went looking…we wouldn't be here like this…Winry and I would still be miles apart, both of us thinking the other was dead." Ed swallowed, and his arm tightened around his wife. "So just…thank you."

Adam smiled. "My pleasure."

**End.**

_AN: I know, the ending was way too sappy, but as I said, this was written a long time ago…_


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